Local property taxes fund a substantial portion of public education in Texas today. Asthe Texas Legislature provides property tax relief, a new source of education revenuemust be found. This report examines the viability of creating a payroll tax to fundTexas public schools. Payroll taxes, the author finds, have proven damaging tobusinesses, employees, and citizens – increasing the cost of doing business, reducingemployment, depressing wages, reducing economic competiveness, and obstructingeconomic growth.
Local Government
When Government Lobbies Itself: Why Texas Should Ban Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
Texas local governments use taxpayer dollars to hire lobbyists to influence state legislation—creating conflicts of interest, distorting democratic accountability, and undermining the interests of Texas taxpayers. Key points: Taxpayer-funded lobbying expenditures more than doubled from the 85th to the 89th Legislature, now reaching as high as $111.5 million. Taxpayer-funded lobbyists consistently opposed legislation involving property...
April 6, 2026